Bengaluru: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy may have to depend on former JD(S) rebels, who quit the party to join the Congress, for the victory of his son, Nikhil from Mandya this Lok Sabha poll.

With Congress leaders of Mandya refusing to work for Nikhil, Mr Kumaraswamy has reportedly requested energy minister, D K Shivakumar to persuade former JD(S) leaders, N Cheluvarayaswamy from Nagamangala and Ramesh Bandisidde Gowda from Srirangapatna, to back him instead.

But he may have a difficult time convincing them as only recently, minor irrigation minister, C S Puttaraj of the JD(S) had called the troika of Mr Cheluvarayaswamy, Mr Narendra Swamy and Mr Ramesh Siddegowda “dead horses” when asked if the party would seek their support this LS poll. Stung by his comment, Mr Cheluvarayaswamy had shot back, “As we are dead horses, what we can do? When we ourselves lost the last Assembly poll, how can we convince people to vote for the JD(S)? We cannot prevent them from voting for Ms Sumalatha Ambareesh (wife of the late minister, M H Ambareesh).”

Going by sources, Mr Ramesh Siddegowda has been accompanying Ms Sumalatha to several villages in Srirangapata as she prepares to contest from Mandya this LS poll. Besides, Congress workers of Nagamangala, Malavalli, Mandya, Maddur and Srirangapatna taluks too are said to be backing her to the hilt . Although, this has angered state Congress leaders , they are helpless to stop them.

Whether Mr Shivakumar is able to come to Nikhil’s rescue remains to be seen as a majority of Mandya’s Congress leaders had only recently skipped the meeting he had called to advise them to work for him.